Leofoto Ranger LS-284CL Extra Long Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit

NEW EXTRA LONG RANGER LS-284CL TRIPODS FOR HIKING & TRAVELING

Introducing the Leofoto LS-254CL and LS-284CL kits. Leofoto's best selling tripods, but tailored to the South African market.

Feel like déjà vu? You'd be excused for thinking so. The only difference is the L in the name, which stands for extra-long. The Leofoto Ranger tripods are without a doubt the best value-for-money tripods on the market, but the smaller sizes have one critical shortcoming - the 4-section models are too short for people over 1.65m in length. Leofoto tried to overcome this by making 5-section models which reach higher, but 5-section tripods aren't everyone's cup of tea. They take long to deploy and 4 joints in a thin leg compromises rigidity substantially.

The solution? Custom LS-254 and 284 models that are about 20% taller than the standard models. You won't find them on the Leofoto website as they were done exclusively for the SA market.

Check out this comparison of the nearly identical LS-284CL and LY-284C by Durban based Emil von Maltitz of Lime Photo. Emil is an official Leofoto reseller and offers fantastic advice and service for customers in KZN. You can contact Emil by phone or e-mail. 

• Phone 0845849959
• Email emil@limephoto.co.za

These new models still fold up short enough to strap to a backpack comfortably without being a nuisance and there is virtually no weight difference compared to the standard models. See the specs below.

Included

1. Leofoto Ranger LS-284CL Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs
2. Leofoto LH-30 Ball Head
3. BPL-50 Arca-swiss compatible plate
4. Padded Storage and Travel Bag
5. 3x Spiked Feet
6. Multi-Tool
7. Carabiner and Attachment Screw
8. Modular Center Column

Specifications

• Leg Sections - 4
• Maximum Height - 160cm
• Minimum Height - 14.5cm
• Closed Length - 61cm
• Weight - 1540g
• Load Capacity - 10kg
  

The Leofoto Ranger series is at the forefront of modern tripod design. Following the success of larger systematic style column-less tripods, more and more photographers are waking up to the fact that a center-column is a major compromise in tripod functionality. Sadly, most manufacturers have been slow to adopt this change. Leofoto is one of the first brands to bring out a column-less design as their core tripod range.

When you take away the center-column, the legs can be stowed flush against each other, which trims the folded diameter of tripods by as much as 40%. Removing the center-column also makes it lighter and cheaper, while improving rigidity as there are less interconnecting parts between the legs and the camera. The only major compromise is the lack of extra height that a center-column affords. Until recently, this has posed a major issue, but the latest precision carbon tubing and joint technology means that today’s 5-section tripods are as rigid as yesterday’s 4-section tripods. Manufacturers can thus increase the extended height of tripods, while keeping the folded length travel-friendly.

Apex – All ranger series tripods feature a compact apex machined from aircraft grade aluminum. The apex is hollwed out to save weight and hard anodized for durability. On the side you will find a UNC ¼” mounting hole for Leofoto’s AM range of magic arms for attaching accessories like smartphone holders, gopros or speedlights. Below the apex is another UNC ¼” mounting hole for attaching a weight hook – such a hook and carabiner are included with all Ranger tripods. The legs attach via stainless steel hinge shafts and brass bushings to a machined aluminium hinge chassis – premium materials you won’t see on many tripods in the market today.

Premium Japanese Carbon Fiber - Leofoto uses 10x layer cross-weave carbon fiber tubes made by Toray Inc – one of the world’s top carbon fiber manufacturers. This ensures strength and rigidity, while ensuring class-leading weight specifications. The hinges feature self-returning angle-selectors, a small feature that speeds up operation. All Ranger tripods offer leg angles of 23, 55 and 85 degrees.

Uncomplicated Joints – All tripod ranges feature fat joints with prominent ribbing to provide great grip and torque for easy loosening and tightening of the legs. One of Leofoto’s proprietary features is a single-piece joint-shim (the shim helps legs to lock together more firmly and prevents the legs from being able to rotate within each other); those who have opened up a twist-joint tripod and seen parts fly will know the frustration of disassembling and reassembling those delicate internal components. All Leofoto tripods feature a one-piece shim, which makes maintenance and cleaning of the joints much easier.

Beveled Aluminium Core Feet – A tripod foot is just a piece of rubber, right? Think again! Most manufacturer’s tripod feet are just a steel spike encased in rubber – this makes it heavy and allows a lot of flex/vibration in the malleable rubber. Leofoto’s engineers have gone to great lengths to make the ultimate tripod foot and the result is an internal aluminium frame that minimizes the amount of flexible rubber in the construction. While this is a tiny detail, it adds to the rigidity of the tripod. All Leofoto ranges’ feet feature a multi-angled bevel, which helps it to grip on uneven terrain. All Leofoto tripods also include a set of spiked feet for shooting on ice or slippery rocks.

What is the culmination of all these features? One of the world’s best tripod ranges at a fraction of the price of the competition. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, well here is the pudding. Thecentercolumn.com is the DXO labs of tripods – they do a lot of controlled rigidity and other testing and combine it with a ton of other metrics like price, weight and included extras to give tripods an overall score. On the travel tripod rankings, the Leofoto Rangers hold 3 of the top 10 spots alongside Gitzo and RRS, but if you look at the price of the competition, your jaw will drop. The Leofoto options cost between 25-50% of the other tripods on the top 10 list.